Talking-toy mechanism



April 24, 1928.

F. EVANS TALKING TOY MECHANISM Filed March 21. 1923 MN m ME W F ATTORNEY.

atented Apr. 24,

UNITED ST T S PATENT oFncE. 4

FRED EVANS,

TALKING-TOY NEcHANIsM.

. Application fl led Ma rch 21,1922. Serial No. 626,501.

This invention relates to sound-.producin devices such as arelused in connection wit talking toys,more particularly talking dolls. Specifically, this device is intended and designed for use in. connection witha doll, the position of which may be changed, thismovement causing the doll to emit a sound such as ma-ma. o The main object of theinvention is'topro Vide a talking toy mechanism which isnot only simple and efiicient in operation and construction, but also: one which is not likely to get out of order, and is compact and easily inserted fin toys. i i p Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than, those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of theelements', combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles, constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicatedin the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, vwhere' in I have shown a preferred form of embodiment of my invention: f v

Figure 1 is'a view of the device inside elevation, the sound producing elements be ing shown in cross s'ection. Q A Figure2 is a bottomplan view "of the de- With reference now tothe drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the views thereof, reference character 1 designates: a tubular casing, )i'eferably cylindrical "in form, and constructed of cardboard, fibre or other-similarmaterial. I g

Positioned in the casing 1, intermediate its ends, is a head 2 channelled as indicatedat 3 whereby there may be attached thereto the marginal edge of a tubular bellows 4, the other-end of this bellows being clo'sed'b'y a head for disc 5 indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, this disc being preferably made of some heavy material such as lead'so thatit is weighted and will operate the bellows by gravity. It will be noted that the lower 01 summer, EW JERSEY, AssIGNoE, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro VOICES INcoEPoEATEn-a CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

marginal edge of the. bellows 'overlies channel 'formed in the head 2-and is held in this channel by means of a spring' ring 6.

Attachedto the weighted disc '5 and extendin through the bellows and slidably throug a suitable aperture-formed in the head 2 is an operating rod or controlling member 7, the end of this rod projecting be; yond the head 2 and having mountedthereon an operating cam 8. The construction of the device is such that when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1,cthe weightj5 will have a tendency to collapse the bellows forcing the rod with itscam member away from the'face of the head-2. 7'

An aperture 9 is drilled through the head 2, and enclosing tliis apertureisa chamber 10 in which is mounted a-reed 11, this reed being so positioned that as the bellows is collapsed and the air forced through. the aperture 9, this expelled air will cause the reed to vibrate. Positionedalso on the-exterior surface of the head 2 is a chamber 12 provided'with an orifice 13 this chamber- 12 bei'ng mounted so as to overlieap'ortion'of the chamber 10 and so positioned that the reed 11 extends thereint. M I I The chamber 12, as ishere shown, is semicircular in cross sect ion, and a lip or valve l is mounted so as to over-lie the opening or orifice in the chamber 12, being secured thereto along the arcuate edge. V The lip 14 is cut from a sheet offiexible, resilient ma} terial, 'andI havefound that afgood grade of sheet rubber will be most satisfactory for the purpose. The lip 14 has an extending portion 15 ofthe same material which extends beyond the straight edge of the chamber 12 and is so positioned as to lie in the path ofthe cam 8., The cam '8, as here shown, is preferably formed so as to have two projecting portions with a reentrant portion therebetween, this'arrangem'ent in.-

suring that the, cam will have a double action." The cam 8 is shown tobe formed of a'strip oflightmetal'bent in the'form 'explained and attached at either.end to the rod 7 .7 This construction of the cam, however,

is not necessary, but it will be clear that other constructions for the cam such as making it of wire bent in the proper form or of some other material. will be equally satis factory.

It will be seen that the head, 2, is positioned well away from either end otthe casing, thereby providing an overlying portion of the casing which protects the sound pro ducing and regulating parts. The casing is also provided at the opposite end' with a head 16 indicated-in dotted lines in Figure 1, this head, together with the mounting of the sound devices, providing that all the working parts will be well protected.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Assume that the doll has been moved to such a position that the parts occupy the relative locations indicated in Figure 1, the

bellows now being full of air and the weight at its farther limit of travel. Assoon as the doll is moved to thisposition, the weight 5 will be moved by gravity so as to compress the .air within the bellows, the bellows as shown being suitably creased so that it may easily fall into the collapsed position. As the weight travels downwardly, the air is expelled from the interior of the bellows through the orifice 9 into the reed chamber 10, through the reed into the orifice chamber 12. The expulsion of the air will cause the reed to vibrate and emit a sound, but the orifice 13 being closed by the lip, this sound will be inirliled. However, as the weight moves down, carrying the reed through therewith, the first hump on the cam will engage the lip at its projecting position and flex it away from the orifice 13. and open the orifice, whereupon the air compressed within the bellows will escape quickly and cause the reed tovibrate rapidly, thereby emitting a clear note through the orifice. As the cam moves by the lip on the continued downward movement oi the weight,the re-entrant portion will next come opposite theprojocting portion of the lip. This will permit the lip to flex backwardly to its normal position, closing the orifice 13 as shown at Fig.- ure 1. The action thereupon will be to mutfle the sound of the reed. the two movements of the lip away from and back so as to close the orifice 13, producing a distinct syllable.

The continued downward movement of the weighted reed and cam will, in turn. cause the second hump of the cam to engage the projecting portion of the lip, forcing it again away from the orifice 13 and permitting the reed to emit a second clear note. This ac- .tion will continue until the second hump rides oil the lip, whereupon the orifice will be again closed.'

When the body oi the doll is moved to another position so as to reverse the position of the device, the weight will move by gravity away from the head 2 and thereby expand the bellows, whereupon the parts will be in condition for a second sound emission. On this movement of the weighty head of the tubular bellows the cam projection members on the control member 7 will easily slip by the projecting member on the valve 1 1- which they engage, by reason of the latter being formed of flexible rubber which will easily bend out of the way of the cam projections. On the backward movement of the weight so as to expand the bellows, air will enter the bellows, leaking in under the edges ol the resilient lip in the reverse direction from the expelled air and also leaking in through the headQ through the aperture inv which the reed? projects. The parts being in the position shown in Figure 1. a second sound production may take place. While the cam. here shown is such as to cause the emission of two distinct syllables, thereby giving the ma-ma sound, it will be clear that various other cam forms may be used, emitting syllables of different length, and also producing more than two syllables such as are now provided for.

It will be seen that I have provided a sim ple and eiiective device for sound production for use in the manner described, this device being very cheaply constructed and having no parts which are delicate and easily put out of order. The device is ruggedly constructed and will withstand rough usage such as dolls and toys are ordinarily subjected to. may be easily regulated so as to provide for the production of sounds of varying qualities 1. A device of the class described com-' prising in combination a casing, a head mounted therein, bellows attached to one face of said head, a weight mounted oil-said bellows, a rod attached to said weight and extending through said head, sound. producing means mounted on the other face of said head in communication with the interior of said bellows, and means to control the characteristics 01" sound produced upon the expulsion otair from said bellows, said last named means including anorifice,are silient lip covering said orifice, and a cam having a plurality of protuberances mounted on said rod to displace said lip from said orifice. as said bellows is collapsed. 1

till

It will be seen that the sound] 2. A' device of the class-describedcomprising in combination a casing, a head mounted .i therein, intermediate the endsthereofla til;-

bular bellows attached to one face of, said head, a weight mounted on.,tl1e other end of said bellows, a rod attached to the inner face of said weight and extending through said head, a reed chamber mounted on the other face of said head in communication with the interior of said bellows, anorifice chamber mounted on said head in communication with said reed chamber, a resilient closure mounted on'said orifice chamber so as to cover said orifice, and a cam'having a plu-' rality of protuberances mounted on the end of said rod and so positioned as to displace said closure from said orifice as said reed moves through said head upon the collapse of said bellows.

3. A device of the class'described comprising in combination a casing, a head mounted therein intermediate the ends thereof, the bellows attached to'one face of said head, a weight closing the other end of said bellows, a rod attached to said weight projecting through said head, an aperture through said head, a reed chamber mounted on the other face of said head overlying said aperture, an orifice chamber on said head in connection with said reed chamber, a flexible, resilient closure for said orifice mounted on said orifice chamber and projecting beyond the walls thereof, a cam mounted on said rod beyond the face of said head and adapted to engage the extending portion of said closure, said cam being so formed as to cause said closure successively to open and close said orifice whereby to control the character of the sound emitted.

4. A device of the class described, comprising in combination, a casing, a head mounted in the casing, a bellows attached to one face of said head, a weight closing the other end of the said bellows, a rod attached to the said weight and passing movably through the said head, the said head having an aperture, a reed chamber and reed mounted externally on said head over the said aperture, a second chamber partly mounted upon the said head and partly upon the said reed chamber, the said reed forming the communicating passage for air between the two said chambers, the said second chamberhaving a flat bottom provided with an orifice, a resilient flap closure covering the said bottom and orifice externally and having a portion projecting beyond the said bottom and side of the chamber, and a cam having a plurality of rounded protuberances and mount ed on the said rod and arranged to act upon the said projecting portion of the closure at intervals in passing the same as the bellows collapses and expands.

5. A ,device of the class described having in combination a collapsible air chamber, a

sound reed operated-thereby, means having an orificethrough whichthe sound from the reed ma escape, a valve normally closing saidori cc and a control member, the, control member having a member adapted to engage a member on the valve to, open the valve when the air chamber is collapsed, and

one of said members being formed of flexible rubber whereby the other member may easily slip by the same on one movement of the reed may escape, a valve normally closing said orifice and a control member, the valve having a member of flexible rubber adapted to be engaged by the control member to open the valve when the air chamber is collapsed. 7. A device of the class described having in combination a tubular casing, a tubular bellows therein, one end of said bellows beingweighted whereby the same may be operated by gravity, a sound reed carried by one end of the bellows and adapted tobe operated thereby, means carried by said end ofthebellows and having an orifice through which thesound from said reed may escape, a valve for opening and closing said orifice to control the sound therefrom, a control member passing through the bellows and through said head carrying said reed, said control member being slidably arranged with respect to said head, the control member having a member adapted to engage a member on the valve to open the valve when the bellowsis collapsed, and one of said members being formed of flexible rubber.

8. A device of the class described having in combination a tubular casing a tubular bellows therein, one end of said bellows operated by gravity, a sound reed carried by oneend of the bellows and adapted to be operated thereby, means carried by said end of the bellows and having an orifice through which the sound from said reed may a valve for opening and closing said orifice to control the sound therefrom, a control member passing through the bellows and through said head carrying said reed, said control member being slidably arranged with respect to said head, and the valve having a member of flexible rubber adapted to be engaged by a plurality of projections on the controlmember to operate the valve.

9. A device of the class described having in combination a tubular casing, a tubular bellows therein, one end of said bellows being weighted whereby the same may be operated by gravity, a sound reed adapted to be, operated by the bellows, means having escape,

" closing said orifice to control the sound therefrom, a control member attached to the Weighted end of the bellows and passing through the bellows and into proximity to said valve, said control member having a member adapted to engage a member on the valve and one of said members being formed of flexible rubber whereby the other member may easily slip by the same on one movement of the control member with respect to the 10 valve. Intestimony whereof I affix my signature,

FRED EVANS. 

